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Pretoria - A man accused of killing a Pretoria North woman claimed on Wednesday he had taken part in a staged robbery at her home and that she had been alive when he left.

Sipho Masiqa, 34, testified in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that the deceased, Thifhelimbilu Mashau - whom he referred to as Paulina - and a man called Peter had initially approached him for a firearm.

When he could not get one they asked him to help them stage a robbery.

Masiqa said he was promised R10 000 and they also told him he could keep the car they were driving and whatever he took in the house.

Masiqa, 34, Raymond Matshaba, 27 and Bradley Molefe, 34, are accused of murdering Thifhelimbilu Mashau, her 8-month-old baby Avheani, and her 4-year-old daughter Adivhaho in their home in July 2010.

They have pleaded not guilty to the murders, and to charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, and rape.

The State alleges they strangled the two children and robbed Mashau of her car and other goods at their Theresa Park home, before taking her to Ga-Rankuwa, where they raped and murdered her.

Masiqa told the court Paulina and Peter visited him several times at a construction site where he worked, and eventually came to pick him up.

Mashau had her baby with her and they went to pick up her other child before going to the house in Theresa Park.

After Mashau took the children to the bedroom, Masiqa, Peter and Paulina went out to buy beer.

Masiqa said they watched television and drank beer before Peter broke a window, while he and Mashau held duvets on both sides of the window to dull the sound.

According to Masiqa, Paulina and Peter disconnected the television and computer, which was put in the car with a stack of CDs and a box full of goods.

They also came with a tube of blood and sprinkled it around in the house.

Peter gave Masiqa a pair of boots with which he had to walk around outside.

"Peter said I mustn’t tie Paulina too tight because she must still be able to press the alarm," said Masiqa.

"He said I will find sticky tape in a drawer and I must take that and close their mouths. He said my money was underneath the seat of the car.

"I found the money and went back to the house and told them I’m leaving... Then I drove straight home. The last time I saw the kids was when we went inside and Paulina went into the room with them," he said.

"I only heard on the news on Sunday that people had been murdered in Theresa Park... I thought Bra Peter had killed them and could follow me."

Lieutenant Colonel M J Mogotji testified that Masiqa had told him the initial plan was to get a firearm "for the deceased to kill herself", but he could not get a firearm.

He also told Mogotji he had waited inside Mashau’s house for about half an hour while she was in the bedroom with the children, before she came out and said that she "was finished with the children".

Mogotji said Masiqa pointed out places in Ga-Rankuwa to the police where he said he had thrown away "the murder knife" and the body, and where he had strangled and stabbed Mashau in the chest with a knife.

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